7 At-Home Hacks EVERY Saudi Resident Can Use to Live More Sustainably
There’s no denying that Saudi’s carbon footprint alone, in terms of food and trash waste, is A LOT. So much, in fact, that the country produces around 15 MILLION tons of municipal solid waste every year. According to EcoMENA, that’s an average of 1.4 kg of waste per individual.
With that in mind, if you’re interested in doing your part in making more sustainable choices that could help reduce the Kingdom’s carbon footprint- then you’ve come to the right article.
This is the least we can do for the country and the world we live in and it doesn’t matter how BIG you go, as long as you start somewhere.
Here are a few things you can start incorporating from the comfort of your own home to ensure that you’re on a path of leaving zero-waste and making more sustainable choices:
1. Always turn the water tap off when not in use
This might sound a little silly but haven’t you forgotten to turn off the tap while brushing your teeth sometimes? These little things make a HUGE difference in the long run.
Next time you’re brushing your teeth, keep the water tap off and rinse once you feel you’re done. On that note, let’s also cut down the shower time and if you had to choose between a shower or a bath, the shower would be the more efficient and sustainable option.
2. Purchase a refillable LARGE water pitcher and say goodbye to plastic!
Having a large water pitcher will help you be more aware of the amount of water you drink in a day (so it’ll keep you hydrated) + the oceans will reap the rewards from this reduction of plastic use.
3. Plug it all OFF
It might sound crazy but even when a device is off, it takes up upto 10% of your home’s energy and so it’s probs best to plug everything out of its outlet before heading out. This might take some time to get used to, initially, but it’ll be a great part of a new routine.
4. No need for lights during daytime
If your home has great big windows that manage to let in a ray of sunshine without totally heating up the entire place, then make great USE of this.
Switch off the lights in the morning until sunset, take advantage of our sunny geographic positioning and see what a difference this will create on your monthly bills.
5. Use reusable cloth bags for groceries
This one will be a little challenging at first but can you imagine the amount of plastic bags ONE person alone will ditch just by using these bags?
Packaging in the Kingdom has become way too excessive, with a single tray cart that will hold more than 20 plastic bags- unnecessarily.
6. Switch your plastic toothbrush to a biodegradable one
A plastic toothbrush needs replacing every 2-3 months, which means the ones that get thrown away are just stuck due to the fact that they do not BIODEGRADE.
(Biodegrading the process when a material chemically dissolves through bacteria or fungi)
Instead, you can opt for a sustainable bamboo toothbrush.
7. Ask restaurants not to deliver plastic cutlery or tissues
Packaging, as mentioned earlier, is over-excessive in Saudi so just imagine the plastic your food will come delivered in every single time. Requesting for these changes, although seemingly minimal, will make you feel better at the end of the day.
You’ve got your own cutlery at home, so no need for the plastic one. And if you’re out the house and ordering (say in an office or etc), purchase your own compostable cutlery and take it out with you.
It’s more hygienic AND you’re reducing your personal carbon footprint.
Win-win!
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